Vacuum cleaner switch



F. c. DOUGHMAN VACUUM CLEANER SWITCH Filed Aug. 27, 1938 1. ud'y m. IIIIIIIII IIIIA Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,197,337 VACUUM CLEANER SWITCH Ferman C. Doughman, Stamford, Conn assignmto Electrolux'Corporation, Dover, De I., a corporation of Delaware Application August 27,

' 6 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the, socalled, inside bag type having a switch adapted for operation by theapplication of foot pressure.

Portable appliances in general receive. relatively hard usageand this is particularly true of vacuum cleaners. A switch for a vacuum cleaner which may be operated by foot pressure is of a considerable convenience. However, such a'switch must be able to withstand forces very greatly in excess of any force necessary for the operation of the switch.

' An object of my invention is to provide a switch mounting which will withstand these excessive forces.

Another object of my invention is to providea switch mounting which facilitates assembly of the switch and is of easy access for removal or replacement.

A further object of my invention is toprovide a switch mounting-which will not become loosened in the operation of the vacuum cleaner.

What I consider to be novel and.my invention may be better understood by reference ,to

the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a vacuum cleaner broken away in part;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the switch .and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fi 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is'a perspective view of a channel member.

Referring to the drawing, Ill indicates a vacuum cleaner unit of the inside bag type. A'flextaken along line 5-5 ible hose H is connected to vacuum cleaner unit' Ill at one end and to a cleaning tool 12 through a tube l3 at the other end. Cleaning tool I2 may be connected directly to the flexible hose II if desired. A motor fan unit M produces a flow of air through the cleaner unit I!) from left to right as shown in Fig. 1. Air drawn in through the cleaning tool I2 carries with it dirt and dust on the surface being cleaned. The dust and dirt are separated from the air in its passage through the cleaning unit II] by a dust bag [5.

The operation of the motor fan unit is controlled by an electric switch l6 mounted in a rear end housing l'l. Switch I6 is of the type 1938, Serial N o. 227,030 (01. 200-52) designed for operation by, the application of footpressure on a button l8. While the switch l6 and housing I1 may be designed to withstand the greatest force that may be applied to the button l6 for operation of the switch l6, there 5 is-a tendency for the securing means holding the switch l6 in the housing IT to be loosened by this repeated application of excessive force. 'Any part of the switch mounting which is loosened may fall in the motor chamberand damage the 10 motor. The securing means of this invention is so designed to eliminate any possibility of the loosening of the parts securing the switch I6 in housing ll.

Switch 16 is provided with two side projec- 15 thus l9 (Fig. 5) which overlie inwardly extending shoulders 20 oihousing I! located at the sides of the opening 2| through whichthe switch l6 extends. A switch' cover 22 covers the top of switch 16 and has an opening 23 through 20 which button l8 projects. Cover 22 is provided with inwardly turned flanges 24 (Fig. 4) which rest on shoulders 26.

, A U-shaped hairpin spring 25 has two arms 26 of undulated shape which extend between the 25 projections IQ of switch 16 and the flanges 24 of cover 22. ,The tops of the undulations of the arms 26 engage the projections l9 and the bottoms engage the flanges 24'. The arms 26 hold the top of the switch 16 in engagement with 30 the top of the-cover 22. The ends of the arms 26 extend into two channel members 21 provided with wings 28. Channel members 21 are positioned over the shoulders 20 of housing l1. The wings 28 extend inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 toprovide a larger area of contact with the housing l1. Pin 29 extends through an aperture 36 in housing 11 and engages the back of the hairpin spring 25 securing it to. the housing H, as shown in Fig. 4. An enlarged head 3| of pin 40 29 abuts a ring 32 to which the housing I! is secured. This prevents the pin from falling out after the housing I! is secured to the ring 32. The channel members 21 prevent the rocking of the switch l6 and are held in position between 5 the housing l1 and the switch 16. The undulated arms 26 give some resiliency to the switch 16 without permitting excessive movement of the switch.

In the assembly of the switch l6 and the housing ll, the'cover 22 is first inserted over switch l6. The channel members 21 are inserted over the shoulders 20 in opening 2|. The spring 25 is then inserted in position with the arms 26 extending between the projections 19 r and the flanges 2E. The switch !6 is inserted in the opening 2! and the spring forced home with the ends of its arms 26 entering channel members 21. Pin 29 is inserted in aperture 89 into engagement with spring 25. The assembly of the switch l6 and housing H is then secured to the ring 32. Access to the switch it for removal or replacement can be obtained only by removing the housing H from the ring 32. The switch l6 may then be removed by removing the parts in the reverse order of the assembly of the switch in the housing as described above. No part of the switch mounting can become loosened as long as the housing I! is secured to the ring 32.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a switch housing having an opening and shoulders located around the opening, a switch extending into the opening in the housing and having side projections overlying the shoulders around the opening, a switch cover having inturned flanges resting on the shoulders around the opening, a spring extending between the side projections of the switch and the flanges of the cover, and means cooperating with the spring for locking the switch to the housing.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing having an opening, a switch extending into said opening having side projections overlying the edges of the opening, a cover for said switch having inturned flanges resting around the edges: of the opening of said housing, a. hairpin spring having arms extending between the side projections of said switch and the flanges of said cover to lock said switch and cover together, means securing the freeends of the spring to the housing, and a pin extending through an aperture in said housing and engaging said spring to'secure said switch and cover to said housing.

3. A vacuum cleaner including a housing having an opening, a switch adapted for operation by foot pressure extending into said opening and having side projections overlying the edges of said opening, a cover for said switch having inturned flanges resting on the edges around said opening, a U-shaped member having arms exaromas? tending between the side projections of said switch and the inturned flanges of said cover, channel members located between the switch and housing and receiving the free ends of the arms of said member, and a pin extending ,through an aperture in said housing engaging said member to secure the member to the housing.- v

4. In combination with a vacuum cleaner hav ing a casing and an end ring secured to the casing, a housing secured tothe end ring and having an opening, a switch extending into theopening in the housing and having projections overlying the edges of the opening, a switch cover having inturned flanges resting around the edges of the opening, a member extending between the side projections of the switch and the flanges of the cover, means securing one end of said member to said housing, and a headed pin abutting the end ring and extending through an aperture in the housing to lock said member to the housing.

5. In combination with a vacuum cleaner having a casing, a housing secured to the casing having an opening, a switch extending in the opening in the housing having side projections overlying the edges of the opening, a switch cover resting on the edges around the opening of the housing, a hairpin spring extending between the switoh, side projections and cover to secure them together, means securing one end of the spring to the housing, and a headed pin abutting the casing extending into an aperture in the housing and engaging the spring to lock the switch and cover to the housing.

6; In a vacuum cleaner having an opening and inwardly extending shoulders located around the opening, a switch extending into the opening and having -side projections overlying the shoulders around the opening, a cover having inturned flanges resting around the edges of the opening, and a spring having arms of undulated shape extending between the side projections of the switch and the flanges of the cover, and means securing the spring to the housing.

- FERMAN C. DOUGHMAN. 

